2018 / Korean Peninsula: rapprochement between Pyongyang-Seoul, the US for diplomacy

ALGIERS – The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was marked by a "decisive" turning point in 2018 in the light of developments in the process of rapprochement between Pyongyang and Seoul, supported by the holding of a historic summit bringing together US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jung-Un.

There were many observers on the international scene predicting the persistence of tensions in this part of Asia, taking into account North Korea's continuing nuclear tests and United States pressure to through the sanctions and the multiplication of provocations against Pyongyang.

This confrontation, maintained since the end of the Korean War (1950-53), has removed any hope of a possible political approach to the Korean question. Western countries had always relied on the collapse of what they termed a "communist regime," intensifying propaganda and sanctions measures.

This "economic" and "psychological" war, unleashed on a large scale by the Western countries against North Korea, did not however make it possible to neutralize this "enemy" placed on the "axis of evil", or even to gain isolation on the world stage, thanks to the support of China and Russia.

Nuclear technology: Pyongyang takes place on the international scene

By ripping off the status of a "state nuclear force" at enormous cost, Kim Jong-Un's country has even upset the history of the peninsula, causing a shift in the balance of power in the region.

Indeed, since its rise to power status in the field of ballistic missiles and nuclear technology, diplomatic efforts to resolve the Korean crisis intensified in an interrupted manner throughout 2018.

Indeed, Pyongyang shook 2018 Western capitals and neighboring countries, now forced to sit at the negotiating table and to see a solution based on balances of forces and treatment of equals , far from the language of threats and provocations.

Although the United States tried in early 2018 to brandish the adoption of new "severe" sanctions and military intervention, this did not, however, scare the Pyongyang authorities, believing that no party can not now encroach on its sovereignty, imposing recourse to the diplomatic channel.

Diplomatic broom and succession of meetings

After a long standoff, the United States agrees to sit at the negotiating table with North Korea "without any preconditions," while so far Washington has said that any negotiations could only relate to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Parallel to the steps taken by Washington, the South Korean authorities responded positively to the hand extended by the northern neighbor to engage in high-level discussions.

"We need to improve North-South relations, which are frozen, and make this year (2018) a turning point in Korean national history," Kim said in his New Year message.

Since the end of the Korean War, the two rival states were separated by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), in fact one of the most heavily armed borders in the world.

In the wake of Seoul's offer of dialogue in response to Kim Jong-Un's calls for improved relations, Pyongyang announced that it would reopen the inter-Korean communications channel, praising Seoul's support for his peace proposal

The winter Olympics held in February in South Korea were also the catalyst for this very rapid process of rapprochement.

At their summit in Pyongyang in September, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un decided, among other things, to eliminate a limited number of posts. borders along their heavily armed border.

In the wake of these developments on the peninsular scene and in US-Korea relations, US President Donald Trump assured that there was "no urgency" in the negotiations on the denuclearization of Korea of the North, responding to the many voices that are questioning what is a new impasse.

"A lot of people are asking where are our negotiations with North Korea, I always say that there is no urgency," tweeted Trump. "There is great potential for great economic success for this country, Kim Jong Un knows it better than anyone and will fully enjoy it," he added, before concluding that "everything is going well!"

Donald Trump met Kim Jong Un in June in Singapore, becoming the first US president in office to shake hands with a representative of the Kim Dynasty, who has ruled North Korea since 1948.

In this context, Vietnam has shown interest in hosting the second planned summit between Trump and Kim and senior Vietnamese officials have expressed their willingness to the South Korean government.

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Journalist-Editor of the ALG24 website since December 2016. In the press since March 2014. Specialized in security and political information. E-mail: lettifimohamedsaber@gmail.com Phone number: 066 29 881 61